Apparatus for illuminating ornaments

ABSTRACT

Ornaments such as greeting cards are illuminated by incandescent lamps powered by disposable batteries. The battery is provided with a recess in its casing and has its output terminals disposed therein. The base of the incandescent lamp is adapted to be received by the recess in the battery and lamp contact terminals disposed on the base engage the battery output terminals in the recess and thus detachably electrically connect the lamp to the battery and energize the lamp to produce light.

United States Patent Franc 3,666,937 [451 May 30, 1972 [54] APPARATUSFOR ILLUMINATING ORNAMENTS Charles Franc, Lenox Hill Station 221 East70th Street, New York, N.Y. 10021 Filed: Nov. 7, 1969 Appl. No.: 874,855

Inventor:

[52] U.S. Cl ..240/6.4, 40/ 152.2, 240/2, 240/10, 240/105, 240/1061,240/52.5

Int. Cl. ..F2lv 33/00, G09f 13/00 Field of Search ..240/10, 10.5, 10.61,10C, 240/10 CH, 10 G, 10.63, 10.65, 10.66, 10.68, 52.4,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1912 Forsheim ..240/10 .613/1917 Williams... 8/1929 6/1931 12/1940 3/1941 Samuels ..240/ 10.61

Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi Attorney-Allison C. Collard 57 ABSTRACTOrnaments such as greeting cards are illuminated by incandescent lampspowered by disposable batteries. The battery is provided with a recessin its casing and has its output terminals disposed therein. The base ofthe incandescent lamp is adapted to be received by the recess in thebattery and lamp contact terminals disposed on the base engage thebattery out put terminals in the recess and thus detachably electricallyconnect the lamp to the battery and energize the lamp to produce light.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures Patented May 30, 1972 FIG. 7

FIG. 6

FIG. 5

Inventor.

CHARLES FRANC APPARATUS FOR ILLUMINATING ORNAMENTS SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION Ornaments such as greeting cards are provided with detachableself powered means for illuminating the omaments. The means includes anincandescent lamp adapted for detachable engagement with a disposablebattery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of one fonn of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the form shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded front perspective view of a second form of myinvention;

FIG. 4 is a an exploded front perspective view similar to FIG. 3 butshowing a modification thereof;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a housing used in a third form of myinvention;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a third form of my invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the form shown in FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are exploded front perspective views of furthermodifications of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGs.1-2, there is shown a flat circular ring or annulus 10 which includes abattery having positive and negative terminals disposed in a recess 12.An incandescent lamp 14 having the general shape of a flame has a base16 adapted to be detachably placed in the recess to engage the terminalsand thus be energized and produce light. The battery can form the entireannulus, or the battery can form a portion of the annulus with theremainder as a shell.

FIG. 3 shows a half round incandescent lamp 14 having the general shapeof a flame with prongs 20 in base 22 spaced apart and bent up to makecontact with corresponding spaced negative and positive terminals in abase receiving recess 24 in one end of a rectangular battery 26.Alternatively, the lamp prongs can extend outward to fit intocorresponding recesses 30 in battery 26 whereby each prong is placed incontact with a corresponding terminal of the battery as shown in FIG. 4.Further as shown in FIG. 8, lamp 14 can have a hollow sleeve 60 intowhich battery 62 can slide as shown. The bulb can be round withcylindrical sleeve and battery as desired. If desired as shown in FIG.9, the battery can hold the sleeve and the bulb can slide in as shown.

FIG. 5 shows a hollow plastic housing 40 with an open circularprotective piece 42 for a lamp bulb and a snap lock to hold the bulb inposition as well as a holder 46 for a battery.

F lg. 6 shows the structure of FIG. 5 with a lamp 48 engaged at its baseby the snap lock and a battery 50in the holder. 1

FIG. 7 is a side view of the structure of FIG. 6 with one prong or wire52 of the lamp engaging the negative terminal of the battery and anotherflexible prong 54 which is nonnally spaced away from thepositiveterminal, but can be manually pressed into contact to energizethe lamp.

It is to be understood that this concept can be applied to various typesof ornaments aside from greeting cards, such as gift wrappings,packaging and product ornamentation.

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it is to be understood that many changes andmodifications may be made thereunto without departing from the scope andspirit of the invention.

What I claim as new is:

1. An apparatus for illuminating an ornament, such as a greeting card,gift packaging and the like, comprising:

a flat, rectangular battery having a rectangular sleeve extensionintegrally fonned with the battery casing thereof, said sleeve extensionbeing the negative output terminal of said battery, a circular positiveoutput terminal of said battery being disposed at the bottom of saidsleeve extension on the surface of said battery casing; and

an incandescent lamp having the general shape of a flame and asubstantially rectangular base shaped so as to be slidable into saidsleeve extension, said base having a first contact terminal comprisingthe sides of said base and a second contact terminal comprising acircular contact terminal disposed on the bottom of said base, so thatsaid first and second contact terminals engage said negative andpositive battery terminals respectively when said lamp is inserted intosaid sleeve extension, thereby detachably connecting said lamp to saidbattery and energizing said lamp to produce light.

2. An apparatus for illuminating an ornament, such as a greeting card,gift packaging and the like, comprising:

a flat, substantially rectangular battery having a semi-cylindricalrecess provided in the battery casing thereof, the curved wall of saidrecess comprising the negative output terminal of said battery, and theplanar wall of said recess comprising the positive output terminal ofsaid battery; and

an incandescent lamp having the general shape of a flame and asubstantially semi-cylindrical base having first and second outputterminals aflixed thereto disposed adjacent the planar and curved sidesof said base respectively, said base being slidable into said recessprovided in said battery so that said first and second contact terminalsengage said positive and negative battery terminals respectively whensaid lamp is inserted into said recess, thereby detachably connectingsaid lamp to said battery and energizing said lamp to produce light.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said first and secondoutput terminals affixed to said lamp base are rectangular in shape.

4. An apparatus for illuminating an ornament, such as a greeting card,gift packaging and the like, comprising;

a flat, substantially rectangular battery having a pair ofrectangular-shaped slots disposed in the housing thereof, the internalwalls of each of said slots comprising the positive and negative outputterminals respectively of said battery; and

an incandescent lamp having the general shape of a flame and a basehaving first and second downwardly depending output terminals affixedthereto, said output terminals being rectangularly shaped so as to beslidably received by said slots in said battery casing, so that saidfirst and second contact terminals engage said positive and negativebattery terminals respectively when said lamp is inserted into said pairof slots, thereby detachably connecting said lamp to said battery andenergizing said lamp to produce light.

5. An apparatus for illuminating an ornament, such as a greeting card,gift packaging and the like, comprising;

a flat, substantially rectangular battery having a circular positiveoutput terminal disposed on the top surface thereof, and a negativeoutput terminal comprising the battery casing thereof; and

an incandescent lamp having the general shape of a flame and asubstantially rectangular-shaped base having a rectangular sleeveextension integrally formed with said base for slidably receiving saidbattery, said lamp having a first contact terminal comprising saidrectangular sleeve extension and a second contact terminal comprising acircular contact terminal disposed on the bottom surface of said base,so that said first and second contact terminals engage said negative andpositive battery terminals respectively when said lamp is inserted oversaid battery, thereby detachably connecting said lamp to said batteryand energizing said lamp to produce light.

6. An apparatus for illuminating an omament, such as a greeting card,gift packaging and the like, comprising;

a flat, substantially annular battery having a substantiallyrectangular, radially disposed, recm provided in the casing thereof, oneplanar wall of said annular battery comprisingthe positive outputterminal thereof and the other recess in said battery so that said firstand second contact terminals engage said positive and negative batterycontact terminals respectively when said lamp is inserted into saidrecess, thereby detachably connecting said lamp to said battery andenergizing said lamp to produce light.

10' l 1' I I

1. An apparatus for illuminating an ornament, such as a greeting card,gift packaging and the like, comprising: a flat, rectangular batteryhaving a rectangular sleeve extension integrally formed with the batterycasing thereof, said sleeve extension being the negative output terminalof said battery, a circular positive output terminal of said batterybeing disposed at the bottom of said sleeve extension on the surface ofsaid battery casing; and an incandescent lamp having the general shapeof a flame and a substantially rectangular base shaped so as to beslidable into said sleeve extension, said base having a first contactterminal comprising the sides of said base and a second contact terminalcomprising a circular contact terminal disposed on the bottom of saidbase, so that said first and second contact terminals engage saidnegative and positive battery terminals respectively when said lamp isinserted into said sleeve extension, thereby detachably connecting saidlamp to said battery and energizing said lamp to produce light.
 2. Anapparatus for illuminating an ornament, such as a greeting card, giftpackaging and the like, comprising: a flat, substantially rectangularbattery having a semi-cylindrical recess provided in the battery casingthereof, the curved wall of said recess comprising the negative outputterminal of said battery, and the planar wall of said recess comprisingthe positive output terminal of said battery; and an incandescent lamphaving the general shape of a flame and a substantially semi-cylindricalbase having first and second output terminals affixed thereto disposedadjacent the planar and curved sides of said base respectively, saidbase being slidable into said recess provided in said battery so thatsaid first and second contact terminals engage said positive andnegative battery terminals respectively when said lamp is inserted intosaid recess, thereby detachably connecting said lamp to said battery andenergizing said lamp to produce light.
 3. The apparatus as recited inclaim 2 wherein said first and second output terminals affixed to saidlamp base are rectangular in shape.
 4. An apparatus for illuminating anornament, such as a greeting card, gift packaging and the like,comprising; a flat, substantially rectangular battery having a pair ofrectangular-shaped slots disposed in the housing thereof, the internalwalls of each of said slots comprising the positive and negative outputterminals respectively of said battery; and an incandescent lamp havingthe general shape of a flame and a base having first and seconddownwardly depending output terminals affixed thereto, said outputterminals being rectangularly shaped so as to be slidably received bysaid slots in said battery casing, so that said first and second contactterminals engage said positive and negative battery terminalsrespectively when said lamp is inserted into said pair of slots, therebydetachably connecting said lamp to said battery and energizing said lampto produce light.
 5. An apparatus for illuminating an ornament, such asa greeting card, gift packaging and the like, comprising; a flat,substantially rectangular battery having a circular positive outputterminal disposed on the top surfaCe thereof, and a negative outputterminal comprising the battery casing thereof; and an incandescent lamphaving the general shape of a flame and a substantiallyrectangular-shaped base having a rectangular sleeve extension integrallyformed with said base for slidably receiving said battery, said lamphaving a first contact terminal comprising said rectangular sleeveextension and a second contact terminal comprising a circular contactterminal disposed on the bottom surface of said base, so that said firstand second contact terminals engage said negative and positive batteryterminals respectively when said lamp is inserted over said battery,thereby detachably connecting said lamp to said battery and energizingsaid lamp to produce light.
 6. An apparatus for illuminating anornament, such as a greeting card, gift packaging and the like,comprising; a flat, substantially annular battery having a substantiallyrectangular, radially disposed, recess provided in the casing thereof,one planar wall of said annular battery comprising the positive outputterminal thereof and the other planar wall of said battery comprisingthe negative output terminal thereof; and an incandescent lamp havingthe general shape of a flame and having a substantially rectangular basewith first and second vertically upwardly disposed contact terminalsaffixed thereto, said base being slidably received by said recess insaid battery so that said first and second contact terminals engage saidpositive and negative battery contact terminals respectively when saidlamp is inserted into said recess, thereby detachably connecting saidlamp to said battery and energizing said lamp to produce light.